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Two car thieves who fled from Langley, B.C. RCMP at high speed in a stolen car are behind bars thanks to Air One's thermal imaging camera.

Insp. Tim Shields says a police officer on routine patrol early Friday morning spotted two men trying to steal a parked Honda Civic

The officer tried to stop the car, but it drove away at high speed toward Fort Langley, Shields said.

The Lower Mainland Traffic Safety Helicopter, known as Air One, was dispatched and the thieves were videotaped as they raced down Glover Road passing a car at high speed on a double solid line and nearly striking a second car head-on, according to police.

A suspected car thief hides in the back of a pickup truck, but the Air One helicopter's thermal imaging camera was able to direct police to his exact location. (CBC)

Shields says the men ditched the car and ran onto the property of a large farm not realizing they were glowing bright white in the dark on the helicopter's thermal imaging camera.

The first police unit on scene, a police dog and his handler, caught one man running across an open field, said Shields. The second suspect hid in the back of a pickup truck, but was easily visible to the camera and was also arrested.

Shields says the 35-year-old driver of the stolen car has an existing driving prohibition and he and his 31-year-old passenger are both known to police.

They are facing charges of dangerous driving, flight from police, possession of stolen property and attempted car theft.